It's a new year but the same old BCS national champion - Alabama. The Tide keeps on rolling, as do these random thoughts for a Tuesday:

» The drama of the 'Bama-Notre Dame game evaporated about as quickly as it took Monday for a limited number of single-game tickets to be sold out for Saturday's NFC divisional playoff game between the 49ers and Packers: less than 3 minutes.

» 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said quarterback Colin Kapernick has been "savant-like" in his preparation for the Packers. He'll need to play well, but 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith might be the key for San Francisco.

» On Wednesday, results of the annual Baseball Writers' Association of America Hall of Fame election will be announced in the most anticipated vote in Hall history with first-timers Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa, who all have the performance-enhancing drug cloud hanging over them, eligible for induction. The debate over whether they should be elected on their first ballot has raged for several years. I say Sosa never gets in, and Bonds and Clemens will have to wait for a while.

» Virginia Beach's mayor likely will announce today whether his city will cut a deal for a new arena to possibly land the Sacramento Kings. The arena would be almost entirely publicly financed, a plan that doesn't make sense for most municipalities these days.

» Pacific is asking fans to wear black clothing at Saturday's men's basketball game with Cal Poly at Spanos Center as part of its Black Out Night promotion. The Tigers are 7-7 overall and 1-1 in Big West play after beating UC Davis last Saturday.

» World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka might not be able to defend her Australian Open singles title later this month. The Bellarussian was forced to withdraw from a recent semifinal in Brisbane against Serena Williams due to complications from a botched pedicure. Williams probably would have nailed her anyway.

» St. Mary's High graduate and Manteca product Chelsea Gray had her second career triple-double on Sunday for Duke and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the week. The junior guard had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Boston College. Gray leads the ACC with 6.2 assists per game and is the only player in the nation averaging more than 15 points, five rebounds and six assists.

» According to Forbes, Notre Dame will receive $6 million and Alabama about $24 million from the BCS and ESPN as a reward for playing in the BCS championship. The Tide has to share with the other members of its conference, the Southeastern Conference, while Notre Dame, an independent, gets to keep all of its allotment. The players' share on both sides? Zero.